Thursday 2 January 1975 The Irish Republican Army
(IRA) announced an extension of its ceasefire. [This stage of
the ceasefire was to last until the 17 January 1975. Secret talks
were held between officials at the Northern Ireland Office (NIO)
and representatives of the IRA and these talks led to a truce
between the IRA and the security forces.]

Tuesday 7 January 1975 Representatives of the Democratic
Unionist Party (DUP) held a meeting with Merlyn Rees, then Secretary
of Sate for Northern Ireland. However the meeting broke up over
arguments about the contacts between government officials and
the Irish Republican Army (IRA).

Wednesday 8 January 1975
[ IRA Truce. ]

Thursday 9 January 1975 [Public Records 1975 - Released 1 January 2006: Part of a note prepared for the British government which provided a summary of political events in Northern Ireland for the period 19 December 1974 to 9 January 1975. The note gives an indication of the secret contacts that had been taking place between the IRA and the British government since 10 December 1974.]
[ IRA Truce; Constitutional Convention. ]

Friday 10 January 1975
[ IRA Truce; Constitutional Convention. ]

Thrusday 14 January 1975
[ IRA Truce. ]

Thursday 16 January 1975 The Irish Republican Army (IRA) announced that it would call off its ceasefire as of midnight 16 January 1975.

Friday 17 January 1975 The Irish Republican Army's (IRA) ceasefire came to an end. Merlyn Rees, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, said that he would not be influenced by arguments supported by the bomb and the bullet. [Public Records 1975 - Released 1 January 2006: Document entitled 'Terms for Bi-lateral Truce' which appears to be a list of 12 terms required by the IRA before a bi-lateral truce would be entered into with the British government. The date of the document is uncertain but may have been delivered to the British government sometime between 17 January 1975 and 10 February 1975.]

Sunday 19 January 1975 The Irish Republican Army (IRA) carried out two gun attacks on hotels in London. Shots were fired into the Carlton Tower Hotel and the Portman Hotel. Twelve people were injured in the attacks.

Monday 20 January 1975 [Public Records 1975 - Released 1 January 2006: Telegram containing a note of a meeting between Galsworth, then of the British Embassy in Dublin, and Liam Cosgrave, then Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister). The telegram mentions the concerns of Cosgrave about the likely impact on public opinion if it became known that the British government was negotiating with the Irish Republican Army (IRA).] [Public Records 1975 - Released 1 January 2006: Letter from Joel Barnett, then Chief Secretary to the Treasury, to Merlyn Rees, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, about the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast.]

Tuesday 21 January 1975 There was a series of bomb
explosions in Belfast in attacks carried out by the Irish Republican
Army (IRA). Two members of the IRA were killed when a bomb they
were transporting by car exploded in Victoria Street, Belfast. [ IRA Truce; Constitutional Convention. ]

Thursday 23 January 1975 The Irish Republican Army (IRA) placed a large time bomb at the Woodford waterworks pumping station in North London. Three people were injured in the explosion and there was substantial damage.

Monday 27 January 1975 The Irish Republican Army (IRA) planted seven time bombs at locations across London. At 6.30pm a bomb exploded at Gieves, the military outfitters, in Old Bond Street. At 9.30pm bombs exploded at the Moreson chemical plant in Ponders End and a disused gas works in Enfield. Only minimal damage was caused by these two bombs. Two further bombs exploded in Kensington High Street and Victoria street; two people were injured. A warning was given of a bomb in Putney High Street and a British Army bomb-disposal officer was able to defuse the device. A warning was also given for a bomb in Hampstead and it was defused. The IRA also exploded a bomb in Manchester which injured 26 people.
[ IRA Truce. ]

Wednesday 30 January 1975 The Gardiner Report
(Cmnd. 5847), which examined measures to deal with terrorism within
the context of human rights and civil liberties, was published.
The report recommended that special category status for paramilitary
prisoners should be ended. The report also recommended that detention
without trial be maintained but under the control of the Secretary
of State.

Wednesday 5 February 1975 The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) published a discussion paper on power-sharing, The Government of Northern Ireland: A Society Divided. This was the third discussion paper published in advance of the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention. Merlyn Rees, then Secretary of Sate for Northern Ireland, announced that new blocks ('H-Blocks') were to be built at the Maze Prison while waiting for a new prison at Maghaberry, County Antrim, to be completed.

Sunday 9 February 1975 Two Catholic civilians, both
aged 19, were shot dead by Loyalist paramilitaries as they left
St Brigit's Catholic Church, Malone, Belfast. The Irish Republican Army (IRA) announced that it was reinstating
its ceasefire for an indefinite period as of 6pm on 10 February
1975.

Monday 10 February 1975The Irish Republican Army (IRA) Truce Two Catholic civilians were
shot dead by Loyalist paramilitaries in a gun attack on Hayden's
Bar, near Pomeroy, County Tyrone. A Catholic civilian was shot dead by Loyalists in Belfast. The renewed Irish Republican Army (IRA) ceasefire began. [The
ceasefire was to last officially until 23 January 1976 (?) however
there were a number of incidents during 1975 involving members
of the IRA. During the period of the ceasefire the British government
and the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) denied that a deal had been
made with the IRA. Sinn Féin (SF) and the IRA said a 12
point plan had been agreed with the British. Some of the elements
of this alleged deal were to become apparent such as the setting
up of 'incident centres' and a reduction in security force activity
in Nationalist areas.]

Wednesday 12 February 1975 A series of seven 'Incident
Centres' were established in Nationalist areas across Northern
Ireland to monitor the Irish Republican Army (IRA) ceasefire and
the response of the security forces. The centres were manned
by members of Sinn Féin (SF) who liased with government
officials at the Northern Ireland Office (NIO).

Thursday 20 February 1975 A feud began between the
Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA) on one side and the Irish
Republican Socialist Party (IRSP) and the Irish National Liberation
Army (INLA) on the other. Hugh Ferguson (19), then chairman of
Whiterock IRSP, was shot dead at his place of work in Ballymurphy,
Belfast. It was believed that the OIRA were responsible for this
killing. [There were further incidents on: 25 February 1975,
6 April 1975, 12 April 1975, 28 April 1975, and 5 June 1975, before
this particular feud ended.] A Catholic civilian was shot dead by Loyalists in Belfast. [Public Records 1975 - Released 1 January 2006: Telegram sent by James Callaghan, then British Foreign Secretary, to the British Ambassador in Dublin. The telegram contains notes about matters related to Northern Ireland that Callaghan wanted the Ambassador to raise with Liam Cosgrave, then Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister).]

Friday 21 February 1975 Robert Lowry, then Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, was appointed as the Chairman of
the Constitutional Convention.

Wednesday 26 February 1975 A member of the Irish Republican
Army (IRA) shot dead a police officer in London. During a subsequent
search operation a bomb-making facility was uncovered in Hammersmith.
[ Hunger Strike. ]

Thursday 13 March 1975 Two people died as a result
of a Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) gun and bomb attack on Conway's
Bar, Greencastle, Belfast. One of those killed was a Catholic
civilian, and the other was a member of the UVF who died when
the bomb he was planting in the pub exploded prematurely. A Catholic civilian died three weeks after been shot by Loyalists in Belfast.

Friday 14 March 1975 [Public Records 1975 - Released 1 January 2006: Note by Merlyn Rees, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. The note deals with plans for the Constitutional Convention; the election to which was held on 1 May 1975.]

Saturday 15 March 1975 Two members of the Ulster
Defence Association (UDA) were shot dead in the Alexandra Bar,
York Road, Belfast, in an attack by the Ulster Volunteer Force
(UVF). These killings were part of a feud between the two Loyalist
paramilitary groups.

Monday 17 March 1975 Thomas Smith (26), then an Irish Republican Army (IRA) prisoner, was shot dead by the Irish Army during an attempted escape from Portlaoise Prison, County Laois, Republic of Ireland.

Tuesday 18 March 1975 The two Price sisters, Marion
Price and Dolours Price, were transferred from Durham Prison to
Armagh Prison following a long protest campaign. The Price sisters
had been convicted of causing explosions in London on 8 March
1973.
[ IRA Truce. ]

Tuesday 25 March 1975 Harold Wilson, then British Prime Minister, paid a visit to Stormont and announced that an
election to the Constitutional Convention would be held in Northern Ireland on 1 May 1975.

Thursday 27 March 1975 [Senior members of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) began a three day 'conference' to consider political options for the future. The meeting was held in Hotel Frommer in Holland. A brief note of the discussions that took place was written by 'independent observers' (PDF; 439KB).]

Saturday 5 April 1975 Two Catholic civilians were
killed in a bomb attack on McLaughlin's Bar in the New Lodge area
of Belfast. The attack was claimed by the Protestant Action Force
(PAF) a covername used by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). Republican
paramilitaries carried out a bomb attack on Mountainview Tavern,
Shankill Road, Belfast, and killed five people. Four of the dead
were Protestant civilians and one was a member of the Ulster Defence
Association (UDA). A Catholic civilian was shot dead by Loyalists as he walked home in the Ardoyne area of Belfast. Merlyn Rees, then Secretary of Sate for Northern Ireland, said
that Loyalist paramilitaries had tried to assassinate him in 1974.

Sunday 6 April 1975 Daniel Loughran (18), then
a member of the People's Liberation Army (PLA; later to become
the Irish National Liberation Army, INLA), was shot dead at Divis
Flats, Belfast, by members of the Official Irish Republican Army
(OIRA) in the continuing feud between the OIRA and the INLA. A Protestant civilian was shot dead by Republicans in Belfast.

Monday 7 April 1975
[ IRA Truce. ]

Saturday 12 April 1975 Loyalist paramilitaries killed
six Catholic civilians in a gun and bomb attack on the Strand
Bar, in the Short Strand area of Belfast. Paul Crawford (25), then a member of the Official Irish Republican
Army (OIRA), was shot dead on the Falls Road, Belfast. This killing
was another in the feud between the OIRA and the Irish National
Liberation Army (INLA).

Monday 21 April 1975 Three Catholic civilians,
two brothers and a sister, were killed by a booby-trap bomb in
a house in Killyliss, near Dungannon, County Tyrone. The attack
was claimed by the Protestant Action Force (PAF), which was a
covername used by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF).
[ Constitutional Convention. ]

Sunday 27 April 1975 Three Catholic civilians
were shot dead by the Protestant Action Force (PAF), which was
a covername used by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), during an
attack on a social club, Bleary, near Lurgan, County Down.

Monday 28 April 1975 Liam McMillan (48), then
a member of the Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA), was shot
dead by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in the continuing feud
between the OIRA and the INLA. A Protestant civilian was shot dead by Loyalists in Belfast. His Catholic workmate had been the intended target.

Thursday 1 May 1975Constitution Convention Election The election for the Constitutional
Convention was held in Northern Ireland. The election was based
on proportional representation (PR) and candidates contested 78
seats. The United Ulster Unionist Council (UUUC) won 47 seats
(with 54.8 per cent of the first preference vote); the Social
Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) won 17 seats (23.7%); The Alliance
Party of Northern Ireland (APNI) won 8 seats (9.8%); the Unionist
Party of Northern Ireland (UPNI) won 5 seats ((7.7%); and the
Northern Ireland Labour Party (NILP) won 1 seat (1.4%). Those
elected to the Convention held their first meeting on 8 May 1975.
[As the UUUC opposed power-sharing the chance of the convention
reaching agreement on a constitutional settlement were very remote
from the outset. The convention eventually collapsed in the autumn.]

Monday 5 May 1975 The Fair Employment (NI)
Bill was introduced to the House of Lords. [The resulting Fair
Employment Act came into effect on 1 December 1976.]

Friday 9 May 1975 In a statement at Westminster
Merlyn Rees, then Secretary of Sate for Northern Ireland, said
that recent violence in the region was as a result of feuding
between Republican groups and had no connection with the Irish
Republican Army (IRA) truce.

Friday 23 May 1975 Two Catholic civilians were
shot dead by the Protestant Action Force (PAF), which was a covername
used by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), during an attack on
a house in Mount Vernon, Belfast.

Tuesday 3 June 1975 Two Protestant civilians
and an off-duty member of the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) were
found shot dead in a car in Killeen, County Armagh. Republican
paramilitaries were responsible for the killings.

Thursday 5 June 1975 Brendan McNamee (22), then
a member of the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA), was shot
dead by members of the Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA) in
the continuing feud between the OIRA and the INLA. There was a referendum held across the United Kingdom (UK) on
whether or not the UK should continue to remain in the Common
Market (later to become the European Union). There was a slight
majority in Northern Ireland in favour of joining the Common Market.

Thursday 12 June 1975 Two members of the Ulster
Volunteer Force (UVF) were killed when a bomb they were transporting
by car exploded prematurely in Great Patrick Street, Belfast.

Wednesday 18 June 1975 At Westminster a Bill was
introduced to make amendments to the Northern Ireland Emergency
Provision Act (1973). The main amendment had the effect of giving
control of detention to the Secretary of State.

Sunday 22 June 1975 A Catholic civilian was shot
dead in an attack by the Protestant Action Force (PAF), which
was a covername used by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), in Greenisland,
County Antrim. Another Catholic civilian died having been shot
two days earlier in Fraser Street, Belfast. Two Protestant civilians
were shot dead by Republican paramilitaries in an attack at Westland
Road, Belfast. A Catholic civilian was stabbed to death by Loyalists
(paramilitaries?) in an attack at Baronrath Bridge, near Sallins,
County Kildare, Republic of Ireland.

Monday 7 July 1975 A Royal Ulster Constabulary
(RUC) officer was killed by a booby-trap bomb planted by the Irish
Republican Army (IRA) at a school in Lurgan, County Armagh. [Public Records 1975 - Released 1 January 2006: Note by the Official Committee on Northern Ireland. The note is entitled 'Northern Ireland: Future Policy Options' and deals with the outcome of the Constitutional Convention.]

Friday 11 July 1975 During the trial of the 'Birmingham
Six' the prosecution admitted that the men were physically assaulted
while in custody.

Sunday 13 July 1975 Denis Berry (21), then a
member of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), was shot dead
by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) in Belfast. The killing was
part of a continuing feud between the UDA and the UVF. A Catholic boy (16) was shot dead by the British Army in Belfast.

Monday 14 July 1975 Merlyn Rees, then Secretary
of Sate for Northern Ireland, outlined the governments response
to the Irish Republican Army's (IRA) truce. There had been a
reduction in the level of British Army patrols, and house searches
had been scaled down. He also indicated that in the event of
a permanent end to paramilitary violence, security would be returned
to a 'peace time level'.

Thursday 17 July 1975 The Irish Republican Army
(IRA) killed four British soldiers in a remote controlled bomb
attack near Forkhill, County Armagh. [While the IRA claimed the
attack was in retaliation to the killing of a Catholic earlier
in the month, this incident was another serious breach of the
truce.]

Thursday 24 July 1975 Merlyn Rees, then Secretary
of Sate for Northern Ireland, announced that all those interned
without trial would be released by Christmas.

Thursday 31 July 1975Miami Showband Killings / 'Miami Massacre' The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) carried out a gun and bomb attack on the members of the Miami Showband. Three members of the band were killed and one seriously injured during the attack. Two members of the UVF gang were also killed when a bomb they were handling exploded prematurely.
The Miami Showband had been playing at 'The Castle Ballroom' in Banbridge, Count Down. Five members of the band left in their minibus and travelled south on the main dual-carriageway. The minibus was stopped by what appeared to be a Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) checkpoint at Buskhill, near Newry. However the checkpoint was bogus and was being operated by approximately 10 members of the UVF - at least four of whom were also members of the UDR.
The members of the band were ordered out of the van and told to line up by the side of the road. Two UVF men then planted a bomb into the van. The bomb exploded prematurely killing the two UVF members. At this point the other UVF members opened fire on the band musicans.
Francis (Fran) O'Toole (29), the lead singer with band and famous for his good looks, was shot 22 times in the face while he lay on his back on the ground. Two other band members Anthony Geraghty (23), who was shot four times in the back, and Brian McCoy (33), shot nine times, both died at the scene. Another member of the group was shot with a 'dum-dum' bullet and seriously injured but survived. The two UVF men who died were Harris Boyle (22) and Wesley Somerville (34); both were also members of the UDR.
[There was speculation after the event that the UVF had tried to hide the bomb on the minibus with the intention of the bomb exploding after the members of the van had resumed their journey. It would then have been claimed that the members of the band were transporting explosives on behalf of the IRA. In 1976 two members of the UDR were sentenced to prison for their part in the attack. They received life sentences but were later released under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. (Source: 'Lost Lives'; entry: 1417.)]
[On 14 December 2011 some details of an Historical Enquires Team (HET) report into the incident were released by the familes of the three men killed. The HET report found that Robin Jackson (aka 'the Jackal'), a leading mid-Ulster member of the UVF, had been linked by fingerprints to one of the weapons used. Jackson later claimed in police interviews he had been tipped off by a senior RUC officer to lie low after the killings. RUC headquarters was told about this claim, but no action was taken. The HET report said that Jackson claimed that he was told that his fingerprints had been found on a silencer attached to a Luger pistol used in the murders. The HET said the murders raised "disturbing questions about collusive and corrupt behaviour". (Source: BBC.)]

Friday 1 August 1975 Two Catholic civilians, Joseph
Toland (78) and James Marks (42), died as a result of a gun attack
on a minibus near Gilford, County Down. Marks died from his injuries on 7 January 1976. No group claimed responsibility
but 'Lost Lives' (2004; p614) records: "the attack ..., according to reliable loyalist sources, was carried out by the UVF". David House, then a Lieutenant-General in the British Army, replaced
Frank King as General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the army in
Northern Ireland.

Sunday 10 August 1975 There was an outbreak of
shooting between the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and the British
Army in west Belfast. Two Catholic children, aged 4 and 15 years,
were killed in the crossfire during separate incidents and another
eight people were injured. [These incidents mark a further dilution
of the IRA truce.]

Wednesday 13 August 1975 The Irish Republican Army
(IRA) carried out a bomb and gun attack on the Bayardo Bar, Shankill
Road, Belfast killing five people and injuring 40 others. One
of those killed was a member of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF)
the other four were Protestant civilians.

Thursday 21 August 1975
[ Constitutional Convention. ]

Friday 22 August 1975 Three Catholic civilians
were killed in a gun and bomb attack on McGleenan's Bar, Upper
English Street, Armagh. The attack was carried out by Loyalist
paramilitaries. A Catholic civilian died six days after being shot by Loyalists in Belfast.

Sunday 24 August 1975 Two Catholic civilians were
abducted and shot dead by the Protestant Action Force (PAF), a
covername used by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). The shootings
happened near Newtownhamilton, County Armagh.

Monday 25 August 1975
[ Constitutional Convention. ]

Wednesday 27 August 1975 The Irish Republican Army (IRA) planted a time bomb in the Caterham Arms public house in Caterham, Surrey, England. There was no warning and the bomb exploded at 9.20pm injuring 23 civilians and 10 off-duty soldiers. The pub was used by members of the Welsh Guards who were based at a barracks nearby. [This attack marked the start of a renewed bombing campaign ('Phase Two') in England.]

Thursday 28 August 1975 The Irish Republican Army (IRA) planted a time bomb in Oxford Street, London. The bomb had been booby-trapped and was designed to kill anyone trying to defuse it. The bomb was not discovered and exploded without causing any injuries.
[ Constitutional Convention. ]

Friday 29 August 1975 The Irish Republican Army (IRA) planted a booby-trapped time bomb in Kensington Church Street, London, and then gave a telephone warning. Roger Goad (40), who was a British Army officer in a bomb-disposal squad, was killed as he tried to defuse the device. [Goad was posthumously awarded the George Cross.] A member of the youth section of the IRA was shot dead by Loyalists in Belfast. Eamon de Valera died at the age of 92.
[ Constitutional Convention. ]

Saturday 30 August 1975 Two Catholic civilians died
as a result of injuries received during a gun and bomb attack
on the Harp Bar, Hill Street, Belfast. The attack was carried
out by the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF), a covername used by
the Ulster Defence Association (UDA). Stephen Geddis (10) a Catholic
boy died two days after being hit by a rubber bullet fired by
a British soldier. An off-duty member of the Ulster Defence Regiment
(UDR) was shot dead by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) near Whitecross,
County Armagh. The Irish Republican Army (IRA) planted a time bomb in High Holborn, London. No one was injured in the explosion.

Monday 1 September 1975 Five Protestant civilians
died and seven were injured as a result of an attack on an Orange
Hall in Newtownhamilton, County Armagh. Responsibility for the
attack was claimed by a group called the South Armagh Republican
Action force (SARAF) which was considered by many commentators
to be a covername for members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA).
Two members of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) were killed
by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) in the continuing feud between
the two Loyalist paramilitary groups. Denis Mullen (36), then
a member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), was
shot dead at his home near Moy, County Tyrone. Thomas Taylor
(50), a Protestant civilian, was shot dead by Republican paramilitaries
at his place of work in Donegall Street, Belfast. Another Protestant
civilian was shot dead, in a case of mistaken identity, by the UVF at a scrap metal
yard near Glengormley, County Antrim. The intended targets were
the Catholic owners of the business.
[ Constitutional Convention. ]

Tuesday 2 September 1975 At a conference held in the
United States of America (USA) representatives of the Ulster Defence
Association (UDA) indicated their organisations' support for an
independent Northern Ireland.

Wednesday 3 September 1975 Two Catholic civilians, a
father and daughter, were shot dead at their home by Loyalist
paramilitaries in Higtown Road, Belfast.
[ Constitutional Convention. ]

Thursday 4 September 1975
[ Constitutional Convention. ]

Friday 5 September 1975 The Irish Republican Army
(IRA) exploded a bomb at the Hilton Hotel in London and killed
two people and injured a further 63. [It was later established that a 20 minute warning had been given but this was not passed on to the hotel.]

Saturday 6 September 1975
[ Constitutional Convention. ]

Sunday 7 September 1975 The Ulster Volunteer Force
(UVF) shot dead one of their members near Templepatrick, County
Antrim, alleging that the had been an informer.

Monday 8 September 1975 During a United Ulster Unionist
Council (UUUC) meeting William Craig was the only member to vote
for a voluntary coalition with the Social Democratic and Labour
Party (SDLP).

Tuesday 9 September 1975
[ Constitutional Convention. ]

Thursday 11 September 1975 Harold Wilson, then British Prime Minister, together with Merlyn Rees, then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, held a meeting with Margaret Thatcher, then leader of the Conservative Party, to brief her about a number of matters including Northern Ireland. [On 3 May 2006 the Irish News (a Belfast based newspaper) published details of confidential cabinet minutes that had been taken at the meeting. The minutes reveal that the British government was aware of collusion between the security forces, particularly the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR), and Loyalist paramilitaries.]

Tuesday 16 September 1975
[ Internment. ]

Friday 19 September 1975 [Public Records 1975 - Released 1 January 2006: Note which discusses the Constitutional Convention and in particular proposals by William Craig, then a member of the United Ulster Unionist Council (UUUC), for a voluntary coalition with the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP).]

Monday 22 September 1975 There was a series of bomb
attacks on towns across Northern Ireland. [The Irish Republican
Army (IRA) claimed responsibility for some of the attacks thus
putting further strain on the truce. Many commentators considered
that the truce was effectively over by this time.]

Thursday 2 October 197512 People Killed in UVF Attacks 12 people died in a series
of Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) attacks across Northern Ireland.
Four Catholic civilians were killed in a UVF gun attack at Casey's
Bottling Plant, Millfield, Belfast. Two other Catholic civilians
were killed in separate bomb attacks in Belfast and County Antrim.
Two Protestant civilians were also killed in UVF attacks. And
four members of the UVF died when a bomb they were transporting
exploded prematurely near Coleraine, County Derry.

Friday 3 October 1975 The Ulster Volunteer Force
(UVF) was declared a 'proscribed' (illegal) organisation. Tiede
Herrema, then a Dutch industrialist living and working in the
Republic of Ireland, was abducted and held hostage at a house
in Monasterevin, County Kildare. [On 21 October 1975 Gardaí
surrounded the house and a siege began which lasted until the
release of Herrema on 6 November 1975.]
[ Law Order. ]

Thursday 9 October 1975 A British soldier was killed in an Irish Republican Army
(IRA) land mine attack near Crossmaglen, County Armagh. The Irish Republican Army
(IRA) exploded a bomb outside the Green Park Underground Station
in London and killed one person and injured 20 others.

Sunday 12 October 1975 There was a split in the
Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party (VUPP) following William Craig's
support for a coalition with the Social Democratic and Labour
Party (SDLP). Craig was expelled from the United Ulster Unionist Council (UUUC)
for advocating a coalition with the SDLP.

Tuesday 21 October 1975 Gardaí surrounded
a house in Monasterevin, County Kildare, where Tiede Herrema,
then a Dutch industrialist, was being held hostage. A siege began
which was to last until 6 November 1975.

Wednesday 22 October 1975'Guildford Four' Patrick Armstrong, Gerard
Conlon, Paul Hill, and Carole Richardson (who became known as
the 'Guildford Four') were found guilty at the Old Bailey in London
of causing explosions in London in October 1974. The four were
sentenced to life imprisonment. [Following an appeal the four
were released on 19 October 1989. The court of appeal decided
that the 'confessions' had been fabricated by the police.]

Thursday 23 October 1975 Two Catholic civilians, Peter
McKearney (63) and his wife Jane McKearney (58), were shot dead
by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) at their home near Moy, County
Tyrone. The Irish Republican Army (IRA) planted a bomb on a car outside
the home of Hugh Fraser, then a Conservative Member of Parliament
(MP). A person passing the car was killed when the bomb exploded
prematurely.

Wednesday 29 October 1975 The Provisional Irish Republican
Army (IRA) shot and killed Robert Elliman (27), then a member
of the Official IRA (OIRA), in McKenna's Bar in the Markets area
of Belfast. [Between 29 October 1975 and 12 November 1975, 11
people were to died in the continuing feud between the two wings
of the IRA. Most of those killed were members of the 'official'
republican movement.] A Catholic civilian was shot dead by Loyalists in Lurgan, County Armagh.

Friday 31 October 1975 Thomas Berry (27), then a
member of the Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA), was shot
dead by the Provisional IRA (PIRA) outside Sean Martin's Gaelic
Athletic Association (GAA) Club in the Short Strand, Belfast.
Seamus McCusker, a senior member of Provisional Sinn Féin
(SF), was shot dead by the Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA)
on the New Lodge Road, Belfast. Both these killings were part
of the continuing feud between the two wings of the IRA. Columba McVeigh was abducted and became one of the 'disappeared'. [He is believed to have been killed by the IRA. His body has not been recovered.]

Monday 3 November 1975 James Fogarty (22), who had
been a Republican Clubs member, was shot dead at his home in Ballymurphy,
Belfast, by members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA).
This killing was part of the continuing feud between the two
wings of the IRA.

Tuesday 4 November 1975 Merlyn Rees, then Secretary
of Sate for Northern Ireland, announced that anyone convicted
of terrorist crimes committed after 1 March 1976 would not be
accorded special category status.

Thursday 6 November 1975 The siege at the house in
Monasterevin, County Kildare, where Tiede Herrema, then a Dutch
industrialist, was being held hostage, ended with his safe release.

Friday 7 November 1975 A United Ulster Unionist Council (UUUC) report was endorsed by a vote at the Constitutional
Convention. The Convention voted by 42 to 31 to submit a draft report to the Secretary of State. The report recommended a return to the 'majority rule' system of government for Northern Ireland with the addition of a series of all-party committees to scrutinise the work of
departments. [The Report was published on 20 November 1975.]

Sunday 9 November 1975 John Kelly (19), then a member
of the Official Irish Republican Army (OIRA), was shot dead by
the Provisional IRA (PIRA) in the New Lodge area of Belfast.
This killing was part of the continuing feud between the two wings
of the IRA.

Monday 10 November 1975 The 'incident centre' in
Derry was blown up in a bomb attack carried out by the Irish Republican
Army (IRA). The IRA in the city was opposed to the truce.

Tuesday 11 November 1975 Four men were killed in the
continuing feud between the two wings of the Irish Republican
Army (IRA). [ Internment. ]

Wednesday 12 November 1975 Michael Duggan (32), then
Chairman of the Falls Road Taxi Association, was shot dead in
Hawthorne Street, Belfast, by members of the Official Irish Republican
Army (OIRA). This killing was part of the continuing feud between
the two wings of the IRA. One person was killed when the IRA
threw a bomb into Scott's Oyster Bar (Restaurant) in Mount Street, Mayfair, London. Merlyn Rees, then Secretary of Sate for Northern Ireland, announced
the closure of the remaining incident centres that had been set
up under the arrangements for the IRA truce.

Friday 14 November 1975 Margaret Thatcher, then leader
of the British Conservative Party, paid a visit to Northern Ireland.
[ Constitutional Convention. ]

Saturday 15 November 1975 During a disturbance involving
members of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) and Ulster Volunteer
Force (UVF) at the Park Bar in Tiger's Bay, Belfast, a Protestant
civilian was shot dead. The fracas was part of an ongoing feud
between the UDA and the UVF. A Catholic civilian died almost one year after being injured in a Loyalist bomb attack in Crossmaglen.

Monday 17 November 1975 Over the next few days Merlyn Rees, then Secretary of Sate for Northern Ireland, held meetings
with local political parties to discuss possible ways forward. [The Report of the Convention was published on 20 November 1975.]

Tuesday 18 November 1975 Two civilians were killed
and 23 were injured when members of the Irish Republican Army
(IRA) threw a bomb into Walton's Restaurant in Walton Street,
Knightsbridge, London.

Saturday 22 November 1975 Three British soldiers were
shot dead in a gun attack on a British Army observation post near
Crossmaglen, County Armagh.

Tuesday 25 November 1975 Two Royal Ulster Constabulary
(RUC) officers were shot dead while on patrol by members of the
Irish Republican Army (IRA) near Pomeroy, County Tyrone. Francis Crossan (34), a Catholic civilian, was found dead with his throat cut in the Shankill area of Belfast. Members of he Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) gang known as the 'Shankill Butchers' were responsible for the killing. [See: 20 February 1979] A member of the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) was shot dead by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in Derry.

Thursday 27 November 1975 Ross McWhirter (50), who had publicly
criticised Irish Republican Army (IRA) violence, was shot dead
by the IRA at his home in Village Road, Enfield, London. McWhirter was a founder of the Guinness Book of World Records and had offered a £50,000 reward for the capture of the IRA members responsible for the bombings in London.

Satruday 29 November 1975 Archibald Waller (23), then
a member of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), was shot dead by
fellow UVF members in an internal feud. The shooting occurred
in the Shankill area of Belfast. An airport employee was killed by a Loyalist bomb at Dublin airport.

Sunday 30 November 1975 Noel Shaw (19), then a member
of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), was shot dead by fellow UVF
members in an internal feud. The shooting occurred in the Shankill
area of Belfast.

Monday 1 December 1975 Two members of the Irish
Republican Army (IRA) were killed in King Street, Belfast, when
the bomb they were transporting exploded prematurely.

Tuesday 2 December 1975 Two Protestant civilians
were shot dead by Republican paramilitaries in the Dolphin Restaurant,
Strand Road, Derry.

Friday 5 December 1975End of Internment The last 46 people who had
been interned without trial were released. The end of Internment
was announced by Merlyn Rees, then Secretary of Sate for Northern
Ireland, who said that those found guilty of crimes would be brought
before the courts. [During the period of Internment, 9 August
1971 to 5 December 1975, 1,981 people were detained; 1,874 were
Catholic / Republican, while 107 were Protestant / Loyalist.]

Saturday 6 December 1975Balcombe Street Siege British police chased a group
of four Irish Republican Army (IRA) men through the West End of
London. There was a car chase and an exchange of gunfire before
the IRA members took over a council flat in Balcombe Street and
held the married couple living in the flat hostage. [This marked
the beginning of a six-day siege during which time the IRA members
demanded a plane to take them to the Republic of Ireland. The
siege ended when the hostages were released unharmed and the IRA
members surrendered to police.] Two members of the IRA were killed when the land mine they were
preparing exploded prematurely near Killeen, County Armagh.

Tuesday 9 December 1975 A poll published in the Daily
Telegraph (British Newspaper) showed that 64 per cent of people
in Britain wanted the British Army to be withdrawn from Northern
Ireland.

Thursday 18 December 1975 Harold Wilson, then British
Prime Minister, paid a visit to Derry. Shortly after the Prime
Minister's visit two British soldiers were killed in Derry in
a bomb attack which was carried out by the Irish Republican Army
(IRA).

Friday 19 December 1975Loyalists Kill Five People Two men were killed as a result of a car bomb planted by the Red Hand Commandos (RHC), a group closely associated with the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), outside Kay's Tavern, Crowe Street, Dundalk, County Louth. The bomb exploded at 6.15pm. [Hugh Walters (60) was killed immediately and Jack Rooney (61) died later on 22 December 1975 as a result of his injuries.] Three Catholic civilians were killed during a gun and bomb attack by the RHC on the Silverbridge Inn, near Crossmaglen, County Armagh. Patrick Donnely (24) had just arrived outside in his car when he was shot dead by the Loyalist paramilitaries who then began shooting into the bar before throwing a bomb into the premises. Michael Donnelly (14), the son of the owner of the bar, was shot dead as was Trevor Bracknell (35). Six people were injured, some seriously, in the explosion. It is believed that the same Loyalist gang carried out both the attack in Dundalk and the attack on the Silverbridge Inn. [It was later claimed that there had been collusion between the security forces and the Loyalists in the attack. The Ireland on Sunday (a Dublin based newspaper) published an article on 14 March 1999 which claimed that a member of the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) and a member of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) were part of the Loyalist gang. A similar claim was made in an article in the Irish News (a Belfast based newspaper) on 2 May 2006.]

Monday 22 December 1975 The authorities in the United
States of America (USA) foiled an attempt to ship weapons to
the Irish Republican Army (IRA).

Wednesday 31 December 1975 Three Protestant civilians
were killed in a bomb attack, carried out the People's Republican
Army (PRA), a covername used by the Irish National Liberation
Army (INLA), on the Central Bar, Gilford, County Down.

Notes
Each entry contains information, where relevant, on the following topic areas:

Major security incidents

Political developments

Policy initiatives

Economic matters

Other relevant items
Information contained within square brackets [ ] may contain commentary or information that only became publicly available at a later date. Any piece of information which is followed by a question mark in parenthesis (?) is a best estimate while awaiting an update.